History Lesson

Here's a great post about about why torture is both wrong and ineffective. There are links in here to American World War II interrogators telling how they interrogated enemy soldiers without compromising their humanity and the principles of our nation.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!

I knew something was terribly wrong. I woke up. My wife was holding me - on purpose. The bed was shaking. Seems like a dream come true, right? In reality, it was an earthquake.

The house was shaking. The first thought was, "My it's windy." Then after about six or seven seconds the wind never let up.

Shelly was panicking. "What's going on?"

"An earthquake!" I said. I'm an earthquake survivor having survived one in September 1990 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Of course, everyone survived that earthquake. It did give me the experience to recognize this one right away.

Our nine-year-old daughter was in our room the instant the shaking had stopped. "What was that?"

"An earthquake!" I said.

Of course, my wife didn't believe me until the early morning news anchor told her I was right. She couldn't believe an experienced earthquake survivor.


UPDATE (9:58 am) Aftershock!!!!

Meet the Press

Is ordering orange juice in a diner wrong? Or is our Press Corps full of morons? You decide.

Here's Your Republican Candidate for President

McCain doesn't think much of the work ethic of Americans.

Free Beer

Don't miss the party Saturday! If you need more info, please email or call! There's also golf on Saturday if you're interested

My First Album Cover

This is a shot of my first album cover. I hope to make a CD sometime within the next 3 or 4 years.

This is Disturbing

Here's your choice:  

1)  a 26 year-old shortstop with a .347 OBP in his first year in the majors.  It's a small sample, but his minor league numbers suggest he may be able to stay close to that OBP.

2) a 28 year-old shortstop with a career .295 OBP in 2751 Major League At Bats.  This guy has proven again and again that he cannot get on base.  He will never get on base.  Some may say he should only be a utility infielder.  I submit that he is too offensively inept to be on a Major League roster.

Of course, Tony La Russa has chosen #2 to be his starting shortstop.  When you pair him with 2nd baseman Adam Kennedy, you have the worst middle infield in all of baseball.

We're in for a long, long season.

The Most Important Post You'll Ever Read

For all you golfers out there this is the most important golfing lesson you can get! And it's free!!

Rog's Birthday Bash

As a tribute to Roger and the fact that he has a whole place rented out for his 43rd birthday party, I propose that we should do a "Roger Roast". Just like those ones on the comedy channel where we each just take turns getting up and ripping him (good heartedly)a new one.

Shoot me a message if your interested or leave one here, and I'll see what I can do about putting something together.

paulntheviolentfarmers@yahoo.com

All He Wants

The New York Times reminds us:

What Mr. Bush wants is to be able to listen to your international telephone calls and read your international e-mail whenever he wants, without a court being able to prevent it or judge the legality of his actions . . .

Finally, Mr. Bush said it was vital to national security to give amnesty to any company that turned over data on Americans without a court order. The purpose of this amnesty is not to protect national secrets — that could be done during a trial — but to make sure that the full damage to Americans’ civil liberties is never revealed. Mr. Bush also objects to a provision that would create a committee to examine his warrantless spying program.

Isn't that the Truth?

From Tom Tomorrow:

Remember what Kurt Vonnegut said:

There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don’t know what can be done … This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.

Party

The time is drawing near. You're all invited to a big party. I'm having my 21st Birthday Party on April 5th at the Chatham American Legion Hall. The festivities will start at 7 pm. Feel free to bring appetizers, munchies, or dips. We'll have some live entertainment. There will be a cash bar too.

There's a lot of fun Lincoln stuff here in the Springfield area if you want to make a day or weekend of it. There is also a possibility that golf might break out during the day on Saturday.

A New Perspective

Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.
You find out important things.
You've touched some lives.
People who face tough battles everday
hold you in their hearts.
All this time they've appreciated you
for the work you've done.
Maybe you never even realized
how many people
hold you in their hearts.
Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.

Some Days are Stone

Some days the sky falls right down on you.
You're lying there with pieces of sky all over you
wondering if you're going to be able to get back up.

Welcome Back to the Same Old Place that You Laughed About

Another four inches of snow dropped on Chatham today. Winter has reached farther into the calendar this year. March has always been a blustery, sunny, and rainy month with rare snowfalls. A couple in our church celebrated sixty years of marriage this week. The husband told the congregation, "It rained and snowed and sleeted and was sunny that day." If ever a day predicted the joys and calamities encountered on the marriage trek, their March wedding day would be the one.

Not too many days ago, about three inches of snow dropped on our fair city. I was at work while Jack Frost worked his magic, and I arrived home to find our driveway already cleared of snow. I knew that the girls would be home shortly after me. Grabbing a shovel I puttered around the driveway. When the van pulled in, I wearily removed my cap and wiped my brow attempting to evoke the illusion that I had cleared the drive. My wife has been married to me for almost a decade now. She did not believe for a second that I had shoveled the drive.

Today, we returned the favor. After shoveling our driveway, we shoveled a couple extra ones including the one owned by the person suspected of stealing the snow from our driveway not too many days ago. As we shoveled, the girls played in the snow pausing occasionally to fire snowballs at me. For an hour or so the edge was off my intense desire to see winter blow away on the spring breezes.

It's a Sad Day in Title Town

It's a sad, sad day for the Packer fans. Considering how well Brett played last year, it will be even harder for the fans to take. Theses legends don't usually end up on the home team. Fans must savor the moments the legends bring. These moments are treasure to sift through when the wins are few.

My wife has pushed me to start blogging again. I think it's time. With all that's going on in our world and the Cardinals preparing for another baseball season, I definitely have thoughts to share. I hope some of the folks who used to share with us will migrate back as well.

Basically, I'm restarting this blog in honor of Brett Favre and the joy he has brought my wife, her family, Packer Fans, and of course, football fans like myself who enjoy watching the great players no matter what uniform they wear.

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

Look what I got her for her birthday! I found it on clearance.

Rick The Man

Whether or not Rick Ankiel becomes a Major League star, he is definitely more fun to watch than Juan Encarnacion.

Another Important Story

Folks, Global Warming isn't a liberal scare tactic. If you ignore the corporate shills, you'll find the consensus as universal as is possible in the scientific community.

Five Big Lies

This is an important story.